Acoustic panel assembly apparatus



July 15; 1958 o. c. E CKEL 2,843,234

ACOUSTIC PANEL ASSEMBLY APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ACOUSTIC PANEL ASSEMBLY APPARATUS Oliver C. Eckel, Carlisle, Mass. Application February 24, 1956, Serial No. 567,520

6 Claims. (Cl. 189-88) This invention relates to assembly apparatus whereby acoustic panels are associated together and held to a foundation.

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus that bridges the space between two construction panels with a minimum of projections outwardly beyond the panels, to thus avoid obstructions to air flow.

Another object is to provide more acoustic absorptive surface with said apparatus, to enable utilization of the space between two acoustic panels to furnish additional absorptiveness.

A further object is to provide parts for said assembly that are easy and relatively inexpensive to assemble, are readily adjustable, and economical to manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my acoustic assembly, broken away, as it appears when attached to a wall.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of said acoustic assembly, showing a portion of the wall.

Fig. 3 is, an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an anchor member such as is used with the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a trim member, shown broken away, which is used with any form of attaching apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of anchor member.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3; but showing a modified form of anchor member in the assembly.

As illustrated, an acoustic member or panel 10, which is commonly used to construct a wall, ceiling or the like, encloses well known fibrous glass, mineral wood filler or other sound absorptive material. It has a back 14, a front facing portion 20, a right side 22 from which a flange -24 extends outwardly at a right angle thereto, a

left side 26 from which a flange 28 extends outwardly at a right angle thereto, said flanges, sides and front facing portion being integral and ordinarily formed of a single sheet of material. Said front facing portion 20 is perforated and both said sides 22 and 26 are perforated therefrom about three-quarters of the distance to said flanges, the remainder, and said sides, preferably being solid to provide strength. This perforated arrangement provides the maximum sound absorptive area without weakening said sides 22 and 26 at the points where they must be "ice strong enough to stand the strain of bending them to form said flanges 24 and 28 respectively.

Said acoustic panels 10 must be held to a wall or other foundation, and to do this and yet provide a minimum amount of projections or resistance I provide attaching apparatus that includes an anchor member or plate 30, a plurality of which are usually used.

The anchor plate 30 may be formed of a piece of fiat metal and it overlaps, bears against and extends between said side flanges 24 and 28 of two acoustic panels 10. Said anchor plate 30 has a slot 32 therethrough, and a screw-threaded pin member 34 with slotted head, extends therethrough and screw-threadedly connects with a nut 35 in a retainer member 36 that is imbedded in the concrete of said foundation F. This retainer member 36 has a slot 37 through which said pin member 34 passes prior to reaching said nut 35. Another nut 38 is screwthreadedly attached to said pin member 34 at the outside, bearing against said anchor plate 30, holding it firmly in place, and thus holding said two acoustic panels 10 to said foundation F. Said slot 32 is long enough to enable correct positioning of said anchor plate 30 relative to said fixed pin member 34.

A supporting pin member 40 is attached to said anchor plate 30, preferably by welding or otherwise permanently affixing it thereto. The upper portion thereof is screw-threaded as at 42 and it extends outwardly beyond said acoustic panel facing portion 20. A nut or other support 43 is screw-threadedly attached to and remains inwardly beyond the outside end of, said pin member 40 and a trim member 44, rests on said nut support 43, or is kept in a predetermined position by the latter. This trim member 44 is preferably flush, at its outer surface, with said panel facing portions 20 so the three members present a continuous outside surface that is in approximately the same plane.

Said trim member 44 has a face portion 46 which has one or more slots 48 therethrough. Integral with said face portion 46 is an inwardly extending left side 50 and an inwardly extending right side 52, thus providing a channel-shaped member with said sides 50 and 52 closely adjacent said acoustic panel sides 22 and 26.

A retainer member shown as a nut or nuts 54, screwthreadedly connected to said pin member 40 outside said trim member 44, bears against the latter, firmly holding it in place.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings a modified form of attaching apparatus is provided in which a U-shaped anchor member 55 has a base or anchor portion 56 having a slot 58 therein, through which said pin member 34 passes. Said nut 38 aids in firmly holding said base portion 56 to said foundation F as previously described. An intermediate supporting portion 60 extends from said base portion 56, and angularly from said intermediate portion 60, a top portion 62 extends upon which a said trim member 44 bears, or makes contact.

This top portion 62 has a screw-threaded hole 64 therein and a screw-threaded pin member 66 extends through the slot 48 in said trim member face portion and screw-threadedly connects with said top portion 62 in said screw-threaded hole 64 thereby firmly attaching said U-shaped member 55 and said trim member" 44 together. Said top portion 62 is approximately flush with said panel facing portions 20, at opposite sides thereof, in this modification, hence this advantage is achieved in this construction also.

The space between said anchor member and said trim member in both of the above apparatuses described, can be filled with a said sound absorptive material to further enhance the sound absorptive qualities of my assembly.

What I claim is:

1. An acoustic assembly comprising two acoustic members and a foundation, each said acoustic member embodying a side, said sides being adjacent, a flange extending outwardly from one said side and another flange extending outwardly from the other said side towards the first-mentioned flange, a pinmember affixed to said foundation and extending outwardly therefrom and between said sides, attaching apparatus holding said two acoustic members embodying an anchor member bearing upon and extending between said flanges and having a hole therein, said pin member extending into said hole, means holding said pin member and anchor member together, another pin member attached to said anchor member andextending outwardly therefrom, a trim member having a hole therein, said other pin member extending into said trim member hole, a supporting member attached to said other pin member and keeping said trim member in predetermined position, and a retainer member attached to said other pin and holding said trim member on said supporting member.

2. An acoustic assembly comprising two acoustic members and a foundation, each said acoustic member enlbodying a side, said sides being adjacent a flange extending outwardly from one said side and another flange extending outwardly from the other said side towards the first-mentioned flange, and spaced therefrom, a pin member affixed to said foundation and extending out wardly therefrom and through said space and between said sides, attaching apparatus holding said two acoustic members embodying an anchor member bearing upon and extending between said flanges and having a hole therein, said pin member extending into said hole, means holding said pin member and anchor member together, another pin member attached to said anchor member and extending outwardly therefrom, a trim member having a hole therein, said other pin member extending into said trim member hole, a supporting member attached to said other pin member and keeping said trim member in predetermined position, and a retainer member attached to said other pin and holding said trim member on said supporting member.

3. An acoustic assembly comprising two acoustic member and a foundation, each said acoustic member embodying a side, said sides being adjacent, a flange extending outwardly from one said side and another flange extending outwardly from the other said side towards the first-mentioned flange, a pin member aflixed to said foundation and extending outwardly therefrom and between said sides, attaching apparatus holding said two acoustic members embodying an anchor member bearing upon andext'ending between said flanges and having a hole therein, said pin member extending into said hole, means holding said pin member and anchor member together, another pin member attached to said anchor member and extending outwardly therefrom, a trim member having a hole therein, and means to hold said trim member in predetermined position on and connected to said other pin member.

4. Attaching apparatus to hold acoustic members to a foundation, in combination with a trim member, comprising an anchor member, a pin member attached to said anchor member and extending beyond said anchor member and having a screw-threaded portion at its outer part, said trim member having a hole therethrough for said. pin member to extend through, said pin member embodying a screw-threaded member of such size it cannot pass through said hole and in screw-threaded engagement with said pin member at a point spaced from the outside end of the latter, and another screw-threaded member adapted to screw-threadedly connect with said pin member and hold said trim member mounted on said pin member.

5. Attaching apparatus to hold acoustic members to a foundation, in combination with a trim member, comprising a flat anchor member having a hole therethrough, a pin member spaced from said hole, attached to said anchor member and extending beyond said anchor member and having a screw-threaded portion at its outer part, said trim member having a hole therethrough, said pin member extending through said hole, said pin member embodying a screw-threaded nut of such size that it cannot pass through said hole and in screw-threaded engagement with said pin member at a point spaced from the outside end of the latter, and another screw-threaded nut screw-threadedly connected with said pin member and holding said trim member mounted on said pin member.

6. Attaching apparatus in combination with a trim member, said apparatus comprising an anchor member, a pin member eccentrically attached to said anchor member and extending outwar-dly'therefrom, said trim mem ber having an opening therethrough, said pin member extending through said opening, and a supporting member attached to said pin member below, and supporting, said trim member andv a retainer member above said trim member attached to said pin member and maintaining said trim member in predetermined position on said supporting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,100,624 Beckwith Nov. 30, 1937 2,102,902 Lenke Dec. 21 1937 2,412,259 Graves Dec. 10, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 47,415 Holland Dec. 15, 1939 228,160 Switzerland Aug. 15, 1943 

